Tired of power outages, Olmsted Township trustees send letter to PUCO

Community NewsOlmsted Township, Ohio. (John Benson/cleveland.com)John Benson/cleveland.comBy John Benson, special to cleveland.comOLMSTED TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- Due to recent widespread power outages impacting residents, the Olmsted Township trustees recently sent a letter to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO).“Thousands of Olmsted Township residents lost power during a period of extreme heat,” Olmsted Township Trustee Riley A. Alton said. “The most recent extended outage began on the evening of June 30 and continued into the morning of July 3 for some residents. “Based on the information provided to us, the immediate causes appear to have been a pole fire and equipment failure at a nearby substation, rather than severe weather.”The recent correspondence requested assistance regarding First Energy reliability, infrastructure performance and outage communications.A PUCO response letter said the entity “has begun to investigate these events to determine the specific cause of the outages, as well as whether any enforcement action will be taken toward FirstEnergy.”Alton said during the outages found angry and frustrated residents complaining of spoiled food and work disruptions.Others had to purchase generators with the overall concern being for older adults, children and residents with medical vulnerabilities. “FirstEnergy’s restoration estimates also changed repeatedly with little explanation, compounding residents’ frustration and uncertainty,” he said. “Township officials received essentially the same limited information as the public, making it difficult for us to provide residents with meaningful updates.”Therein lies the impetus for the board’s PUCO letter, which seeks accountability from FirstEnergy. “Reliable electricity is a necessity, not a luxury, especially during a dangerous heat wave,” he said. “The state has power reliability and service standards in place for a reason. PUCO must enforce them and require FirstEnergy to take action to help prevent future outages.”Finally, the trustee questioned FirstEnergy, which is currently running ads on social media promoting its work. “Its best advertisement would be reliable power and clear, accurate and timely communication when something goes wrong,” he said.Read more news from the Sun Post Herald here.